TURLOCK — The Stanislaus State baseball team led first-place Chico State for a third straight game on Sunday, but the Wildcats' unrelenting offense came back yet again, this time scoring 11 unanswered runs en route to a 17-8 California Collegiate Athletic Association win at Warrior Field.
 
The Warriors (7-14, 5-11 CCAA) came from behind themselves on Sunday. Chico State (19-5, 12-3 CCAA) scored five runs in the first 2 1/2 innings to lead 5-2. But the Warriors put together a five-run go-ahead rally in the bottom of the third. Six of the first seven Stan State batters reached base safely, with RBI base hits coming off the bats of Jonluke Goldman, Zach Jones and Joseph Hauck. The Warriors scored five runs on four hits and a Chico State error to take a 7-5 lead.
 
Chico State got a run back in the top of the fourth to pull within 7-6, but the Warriors showed fight and got the run back in their turn at bat. Trevor McInerney led off the inning with a double, and he'd later come in to score on a sacrifice fly from Danny Murphy to put them back up, 8-6.
 
But the Wildcats would put up four runs in the fifth to go ahead, 10-8, four more runs in the top of the seventh to make it 14-8, and three in the top of the eighth to go up 17-8. Chico State finished the weekend scoring at least 13 runs in every game and collecting at least 12 hits in every game on its way to a four-game sweep.
 
The Warriors' offense was not without its own noise-making all weekend. Against a Chico State pitching staff that entered the weekend with a 4.48 ERA, the Warriors scored 26 runs on 45 hits. Free passes came back to bite the Warriors' pitching staff again on Sunday. Chico State drew nine walks and three hit-by-pitches. Seven of those 12 free passes would score.
 
Five Warriors posted multi-hit games. McInerney went 2 for 4 with two doubles , two runs scored, a stolen base and a walk. Jones went 2 for 5 with a double, two RBIs and two runs. Jonluke Goldman went 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs, Hauck went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run, and Matt Elser went 2 for 5 with a run scored.
 
The Warriors hit the road next weekend to take on another top CCAA team. A four-game series between Stan State and Cal State Monterey Bay starts Friday in Seaside. Fans can find all live coverage links on WarriorAthletics.com.